In the technical field of space applications, there is an urgent need to selectively shield optical and/or electronic apparatuses from undesired electromagnetic radiation, wherein these apparatuses are carried on board of satellites or generally on board of space vehicles.
For example, in the particular field of space telescopes, during observation missions of scientific objectives, more and more often huge telescopes are used, called “Large Telescope”, which are provided on board of satellites. The most recent development of optical telescopes on board of satellites foresees in particular an architecture based on two or more satellites operating within a formation. Telescopes of this type generally comprise a first satellite, called “Mirror Spacecraft”, and a second satellite, called “Detector Spacecraft”. The Mirror Spacecraft houses focusing devices and has to point these devices towards scientific objectives to be observed, whereas the Detector Spacecraft carries the detector, on which images are focused, which have then to be processed, stored and/or transmitted to earthbound stations.
In order to ensure adequate operation of such telescopes, it is necessary to provide a shielding device, for shielding the detector of the Detector Spacecraft from incident electromagnetic radiation, having a wavelength which is characteristic of sources at which the optics of Mirror Spacecraft are aimed, but which originate from sources, which are not aligned with the optics.
Shielding devices of the known art envisage the use of large cylindrical baffles, called “Shielding Baffle” or “Collimator”, which are arranged on board the Detector Spacecraft, around the detector.
However, such shielding devices have some drawbacks.
Above said cylindrical baffles are in fact large monolithic structures, for instance including a core made of aluminum alloy and a cover made of carbon fiber composite material, which are characterized by high mass and considerable bulk. This is very important in the case of space applications, where an increase in mass with respect to payload causes a huge increase of costs and where available payload volume at launch generally represents a critical parameter.